CJ CheilJedang has launched Bibigo Mandu PlanTable in Indonesia as a plant-based alternative. Bibigo Mandu PlanTable is a a plant-based mushroom dumpling made from 100% plant-based ingredients.
The company has exported the plant-based dumpling to 10 countries such as Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. CJ CheilJedang‘s plant-based food brand PlanTable has sold 3 million units since its launch 10 months ago.
Indonesian consumers are still in the gyoza (Japanese dumpling) phase. Even Green Rebel has its own plant-based Vegan Gyoza. Shifting consumers to Korean dumpling or Mandu could be a bit of a challenge. Perhaps CJ CheilJedang can entice the taste buds of Indonesian consumers with more Korean flavoured plant-based foods.
As we get ready to round out the year 2022, a myriad of festivities awaits us this Christmas weekend! From jaw-dropping free performances at the Esplanade to eye-watering good deals from Love, Bonito and sumptuous Christmas spreads at Palais Renaissance, here is what is in store this jolly weekend!
[Now to 31 Dec] Free Performances at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre and Concourse
Christmas with Ernesto and Greg
Date: Now to 31 Dec
Location: The Esplanade, 1 Esplanade Dr, Singapore 038981 Outdoor Theatre and Concourse
At the Esplanade, soak in the spirit of the holidays as you vibe to a jam-packed lineup of up-and-coming Singaporean artists and performers. Featured this weekend on 24 December and 25 December â Ernesto and Greg, Rifaâah as well as SISAY and Fusion FM.
Rhythm is Our Business
[Now to 2 Jan] Uncle Ringo at The Great Christmas Village 2022
Location: 391A Orchard Road, Ngee Ann City, Singapore 238874
Nothing screams Christmas joy more than a fun-filled day at the amusement park! Uncle Ringo is back at it again, delivering amusement park rides that enchant guests of all ages. There, expect to be spoiled for choice as exhilarating rides such as the Samba Balloon, Pirate Ship, and Trackless Train await you!
While you are in the area, do not forget to scratch that nostalgic itch by stepping into the Instagram-worthy White Rabbit candy booth â open from 1 pm to 10 pm daily (Until 1 January 2023). This adorable pop-up by Hao Food SG showcases limited edition merchandise that will tease out your fondest childhood memories and enamour your little ones to equal measure!
[24 Dec & 25 Dec] Indulge in a Christmas Gastronomic Experience at Palais RenaissanceÂ
A Christmas feast only comes once a year, and what better way to treat yourself after a year of hard work than with a one-of-a-kind Christmas-themed tasting menu at Caviar located at Palais Rennaisance! Featuring an extensive range of the worldâs finest caviars, a special roundup of exquisite creations is available on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day â Expect pure indulgence in le caviar soup, featuring the world-famous Superior Osietra caviar, a festive turkey ballotine, and a caviar-laced eggnog to round out the extravagant meal!
Caviarâs Christmas Lunch menu starts at SG$128++ (additional wine flight goes for SG$48++), while its Christmas Dinner menu starts at SG$248++ (additional wine flight at SG$98++)
Also, celebrate the season of gifting with Palais Renaissanceâs exclusive Christmas spending promotion from now till 25 December 2022. Shoppers can receive CDL gift vouchers when they spend at Palais Renaissance:
Receive $30 CDL gift vouchers when you spend $300 spent on Mastercard
Receive $100 CDL gift vouchers when you spend $1000
*Terms and conditions apply, full information available at palais.sg.
[23 Dec â 25 Dec] Stay Active during the Holidays with Decathlon
As the de facto one-stop shop for fulfilling every sport-related need out there, Decathlon offers Christmas partygoers a chance to work off those calories â highlights include a road running session for adults and a basketball clinic for youths.
Basketball Clinic: Know Team Dynamics & Improve IQ (14 to 18 years old)
Date: 24 Dec & 25 Dec
Time: 8:30 AM â 10:00 AM
Location: 230 Stadium Blvd 397799, Singapore
Admission: Free
For the sporty young ones, there is something for them too! Enjoy the physical and intellectual challenge as game-reading strategies and techniques are imparted to participants. Expect a specially tailored training regimen depending on skill level thanks to the small class size of 10 individuals â Be sure to sign up early here!
Decathlon Running Club @ Northshore Plaza (18 years old and above)Â
Beginners and seasoned runners alike are able to sign up for a free road running session around the scenic Punggol waterfront area, organised by the Decathlon Running Club at Northshore Plaza. Sign up here!
After working up a sweat, take a breather in-store to finally get some last-minute exercise gear for any gift exchanges during the weekend! If youâre a Decathlon member, sustainably package your loot in a free environmentally friendly gift wrapper which is redeemable with any purchase in-store.
*More information about Decathlonâs events can be found here.
[Now to 25 Dec] A Last-Minute Shopping Extravaganza with Love, Bonito and Frette
Love, Bonito
Looking for a perfect #OOTD for all the Christmas festivities? Look no further! From cute dresses to cosy sweaters â Love, Bonito has got you covered. Draw inspiration from style icons including the likes of Kelly Mi Li, Grace Chan, and Love, Bonitoâs very own Rachel Lim and stand out from the crowd at your upcoming New Yearâs party. From now until 25 December, LBCommunity+ members can snag a Festive assortment of a set of six tokens or festive playing cards from the LBCommunity+ Rewards Shop, or a limited-edition set of eight Love, Bonito branded drink markers or wall planners with SG$110 minimum spend.
More information on Love, Bonitoâs LBCommunity+ membership can be found here.
Date: Now to 25 Dec
Location: Love, Bonito boutiques islandwide
FRETTE
Struggling to find a gift for the lucky loved one who has everything? With just 40 sets available in the Asia-Pacific region, the newly-launched Silk Blossoms Collection is sure to get you in their good books! Featuring masterfully crafted jacquard blooms in beautiful shades of Dawn Pink and Savage Beige, the Silk Blossoms collection reveals Fretteâs pure artistry of delicate weaving â making this a unique treasure for years to come. Each Silk Blossoms set includes a luxurious silk jacquard duvet cover, a pair of decorative pillowcases, a cotton sateen bottom sheet, and a pair of standard pillowcases.
Location: 2 Bayfront Avenue, Frette #01-10/11, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 018956.
*Visit the Frette Singapore boutique at 2 Bayfront Avenue, Frette #01-10/11, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 018956 for enquiries.
The company is connecting with youths via social media in a manner that resonates with the younger generation
SELANGOR, 22 DECEMBER 2022 â McDonaldâs Malaysia is interacting with youths via social media platforms to introduce a wide range of career options for the latter to explore with the company. Adopting an innovative and engaging approach, Malaysiaâs leading quick service restaurant operator is releasing an original drama series on Instagram Reels to capture the attention of youths who are actively seeking employment.
According to Melati Abdul Hai, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of McDonaldâs Malaysia, McDonaldâs has decided to immerse in the youthsâ âroutineâ and find new ways to express the McDonaldâs culture, values and myriad of opportunities available in the company. Knowing that social media is a popular medium, the company is driving interest and encouraging applications with the release of a nine-episode mini drama series entitled âKau Sundaekuâ.
âWe are always looking for ways to constantly be in touch with the youth of our nation. The light-hearted, fun-to-watch drama series on Instagram is undoubtedly new and refreshing. We want to be able to better connect with the younger generation to showcase the exciting career opportunities and pathways that the Mekdi family can offer,â added Melati.
Over the years, McDonaldâs has consistently been recognised as an employer of choice for Malaysians. The latest accolade garnered by McDonaldâs was the Best of the Best Employer Award 2021 and Best Employer Award 2021 by global HR advisory services provider, Kincentric. Prior to that, McDonaldâs had also won the Best Employer Award from Aon for five consecutive years from 2014-2018. The company was also recognised as the Best Employer for Women in 2015 and Best Employer for Generation Y in 2013, underlining the core values of diversity and inclusion that McDonaldâs embraces.
McDonaldâs invests significantly in various training programmes to prepare youths for a career in the food and beverage industry. An example is the McDonaldâs Vocational Apprenticeship Programme which is an 18-month industry-oriented training programme that combines 70 percent of practical training in McDonaldâs restaurants and 30 percent of theoretical lessons in the classroom. This successful programme is a collaboration between McDonaldâs Malaysia and the Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia (MoHR) under the National Dual Training System (NDTS) introduced by the Ministry. Since 2018, McDonaldâs Vocational Apprenticeship Programme has enabled more than 3,500 youths from various backgrounds to gain experience and employment in the food and beverage industry.
âOur training programmes are targeted at youths to steer them into a positive career trajectory and to help them grow as a contributing member of society. The youths in Malaysia are the future of our country and increasing youth employment will benefit our economy in the long run,â said Melati.
As part of McDonaldâs Vision 2026, the quick service restaurant has committed to invest a total of RM1.35 billion over the next few years to open up to 500 restaurants in Malaysia. With this expansion, the company expects to offer more than 50,000 career opportunities for Malaysians by 2026, including 15,000 new apprentices under the McDonaldâs Vocational Apprenticeship Programme.
The nine-episode mini drama series entitled âKau Sundaeku will be released on Instagram Reels on 21 December 2022, with each episode being one-minute long. The slice of life drama series revolves around a restaurant manager and three crew members from diverse backgrounds who find a home and the sense of belonging working at McDonaldâs. The series features an ensembled cast including Rasyiqah Johan and Zafira Natasya Yong who were Top 10 finalists of the Beauty Pageant show Dewi Remaja, as well as Adam Aliff Tay and Subhasree Uiaramuthu, among others.
Kuala Lumpur, December 22, 2022 â The majority of Malaysian families eagerly anticipate the start of the new school year, racing to equip their children with all new school necessities to motivate the kids to excel in their primary education. However, for urban poor families, the new school year is laden with major expenses.
While the percentage of urban poor is relatively low at 3.8%[1], Malaysia has one of the fastest urbanisation rates in South-East Asia with 77.9% of the countryâs 32.4 million population living in urban areas[2]Â which translates to almost 960,000 urban dwellers living in poverty. Most of the urban poor are settled in Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) low-cost flats, which are densely populated with limited public amenities that are often associated with drug and alcohol abuse, crime and petty theft as well as domestic violence and abuse, making the residents vulnerable[3].
Those with lower educational attainment tend to be from households with lower incomes causing the income gap to widen[4]. Encouraging and improving education opportunities is key to reduce income inequality.
Understanding the plight of these urban poor families and recognising the importance of education for all, the Cerahi Kehidupan Bersama TOP (Brighter Future with TOP) charity fund-raising campaign is collaborating with MYDIN to equip a total of 200 Primary One students from hardcore poor families living in PPR communities in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor and Penang, with back-to-school essentials for the 2023/2024 school year.
A portion of sales from selected TOP detergent products across MYDIN stores from December 15, 2022 to January 15, 2023 will be channelled to equipping these 200 Primary One school students.
The back-to-school essentials include brand new school uniform, school shoes, socks, stationery set, pencil case, and colour pencils for each child. TOP will deliver the personalised back-to-school packs to the families ahead of the new school term giving parents and children ease-of-mind that they be on a level playing field with other classmates.
Since its inception in 2015, the Cerahi Kehidupan Bersama TOP campaign has benefited 3,206 children from 97 communities nationwide with back-to-school essentials, while contributing TOP detergent products to their families and caregivers.
TOP recently introduced The TOP Colour Signature line of Super Colour premium powder detergent and Colour Protect premium liquid detergent with breakthrough 5D Colour ProTech Laundry Technology that allows consumers to wash all laundry together[5] with the confidence that colours wonât bleed, colourful clothes remain vibrant, and dark clothes stay dark. It prevents fabric from early aging, keeping them newer for longer helping prolong the life of garments thus promoting more sustainable living. Each participating family in the Cerahi Kehidupan Bersama TOP program will receive a 2.1kg pack of TOP Super Colour powder detergent from this line, and a reusable detergent dispenser.
All TOP detergents including the Colour Signature line are powered by Advanced Micro-Clean Tech with Lion Japanâs Anti-Microbial Tech that deploys next generation detergent technology that effectively removes 99.9% of harmful viruses including (COVID-19 virus, Influenza A & Coxsackie), and bacteria[6]. This specially curated multi-tech formulation includes Anti-Malodour, Anti-Mite Dust and Anti-Sebum functionalities, enhanced with Bolder Scent Technology, a distinctive fragrance with proven efficacy against malodour control while it enhances mood.
TOP partnered with Kloth Cares and INTI to introduce the Colour Signature detergent line, and in the process collected more than 700 kilograms of good quality pre-loved clothing kindly donated by the Malaysian public. The pre-loved clothing will be cleaned and made available to participating families interested in upcycling projects.
âRising cost of living is a global issue, and the urban poor are most at risk. Back-to-school preparations for even one child can disrupt the tight budgets of urban poor families, yet education is vital for these kids to break the cycle of poverty. Having similar back-to-school items as other students can help to motivate them and put them in the right headspace to excel. This is why the Cerahi Kehidupan Bersama TOP campaign resonates with and is supported by Malaysians who are invested in helping other Malaysians achieve their full potential. Our thanks to MYDIN for their cooperation on this campaign,â says Ms Carmen Foo, Senior General Manager of Southern Lion Sdn Bhd.
To support the Cerahi Kehidupan Bersama TOP campaign in providing 200 urban poor Primary One students with back-to-school essentials, the public can purchase TOP detergent products from any participating MYDIN store nationwide from 15 December 2022 to 15 January 2023. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/TOPdetergentMY.
âWe are committed to supporting 200 children through this campaign but we hope to achieve a higher collection so that we can help even more kids. Join TOP to make a difference to urban poor families so that they can enjoy a brighter future,â adds Ms Carmen Foo in closing.
To find out more about TOP products and the campaign, please visit http://www.southernlion.com.my or call customer care line at 1800-880-133.
[5]Â Always check brand new clothes for colour fastness before adding to your regular laundry load. Cotton, wool and silk are more likely to leach dye on the first few washes compared to synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon and acrylic. Wash clothes of these materials separately on the gentle cycle in cold water to be safe.
[6]Â Based on an independent lab test conducted in Japan.
Dilmah is back with a seasonal flavour in Singapore for the upcoming Chinese New Year, the year of the rabbit. The new CNY-exclusive Dilmah RTD tea Mandarin Orange Ice Green Tea is lower in sugar and is said to be an exceptional match for pairing with CNY goodies like Bak Kwa, Hae Bee Hiam, various cookies and assorted tarts.
The limited edition flavour features mandarin orange’s unique sweet citrus aroma entwined with a pleasant green tea base to produce an outstanding tea of full Asian flavour.
Malaysia’s tastiest gourmet popcorn MyEureka Snack has landed at SM MEGAMALL, Metro Manila. MyEureka Snack has a scalable business model that focuses on delighting consumers with interesting flavours at an affordable price. The company first started in Malaysia and has since expanded into Singapore and Indonesia.
MyEureka Snack’s new store in Manila is located at K321B, 3rd Floor Mega Bridgeway.
Mighty White’s new Butterscotch Vanilla Cream Roll is now available at 7-Eleven in Malaysia. The new cream roll is described as having a combination of two classic flavours, making it a match made in cream roll heaven.
Chinese dairy player Mengniu has finally launched its Yoyic Fremented Milk in Malaysia. In Southeast Asia, Yoyic Fermented Milk is sold in Indonesia and Singapore, making Malaysia the third market in the region. The yogurt drinks come in orginal, blueberry and orange flavours and are available at selected 7-Eleven near you. Click here for the list of stores.
Event held indoors for the first time providing visitors with air-conditioned comfort, redefining the night market experience even in the daytimeÂ
Kuala Lumpur, 20 December 2022 â ARTBOX, Singaporeâs largest lifestyle event, is back after a three-year hiatus – bigger, better and literally cooler than before – with an all new line-up of at least 300 vendors from Southeast Asia providing retail and F&B experiences, and art installations by local artists at the Singapore Expo. Organised by Invade, the upcoming edition of ARTBOX will be held indoors for the first time since its inception in 2017, providing visitors with air-conditioned comfort while they soak in the festivities of the night market experience, even in the daytime, thanks to cleverly designed spaces and lighting installations in the 9,822 sqm space (equivalent to 1â of a football field).
Next yearâs ARTBOX is also co-organised with SGAG, one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing digital content producers for Millennials and Gen Zs. Visitors will be entertained throughout with local humour and activities provided by the funniest and cheekiest bunch from the SGAG team. Visitors who have been following SGAG online can now experience them in-person for the first time in an offline setting with wacky activities such as the National Shake Leg Championship, SGAGâs first ever fan meet-and-greet and roving mini games throughout the event.
Over two weekends in February and March 2023, visitors can also expect a showcase of gourmet creations from F&B entrepreneurs and brands from Southeast Asia, unique shopping experience featuring crafts and innovative products from local and global brands, and immersive structures and interactive experiences curated in collaboration with the region’s best artists all under one roof.
âTrue to next yearâs theme of Vision, we would like our visitors to manifest their wildest visions in our refined night market experience â to create brand new memories, take part in unique experiences, and to enable them to connect with the world once again,â said Kent Teo, Founder and CEO of Invade. âWe are also co-organising the event with SGAG to inject their dose of cheeky humour to the festival and at the same time provide an interactive offline space to the local and regional creator economy.â
âWe are excited to be co-organising ARTBOX with Invade for the first time and welcome visitors back to everyoneâs favourite festival with SGAGâs brand of cheekiness thatâs guaranteed to crack Singaporeans up,â said Adrian Ang (Xiao Ming), Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of SGAG. âExpect hilariously difficult obstacle courses, entertaining challenges, roaming activities and fan meet-and-greets throughout the whole event. We are going to pull out all the stops to bring the unconventional to a conventional space like the Singapore Expo.â
ARTBOX will be held on 24 to 26 February and 3 to 5 March 2023, from 12pm to 11pm at Hall 6 of Singapore Expo. Tickets to the event cost $5 per person per entry with early-bird pricing of $4.50 per person, available till 31 December 2022. Visitors looking at attending all six days can opt for a Season Pass at $30 per person with priority entry. More information can be found at https://www.artbox.sg/.
Here are some simple tips to protect your funds from fraudsters, phishers and carders when shopping online
21 December 2022
Online shopping is a part of all our lives, and many can no longer imagine their daily routine without it. A couple of clicks, and a delivery guy is already bringing pizza or dog food straight to your door, while movie tickets arrive straight into your inbox. This calls for more, not less vigilance: itâs not only online stores and services that are after your money, but scammers forever scheming how to pick your pocket. Today Kaspersky talk about cybercriminal tricks and how to protect your funds when shopping online.
Account theft
Attackers are constantly on the lookout for user accounts in services related to online commerce. Why? Sometimes itâs all very simple: they want to gain access to payment cards linked to the account and go on a spree at your expense. There are no two ways about it: account hijacking can cause direct monetary losses.
There are, of course, more complex cases when hacked accounts are used in various fraudulent schemes to scam other users or online services, as well as to launder and cash out stolen funds. That is, if your hacked account is used for some illegal activity, it wonât necessarily result in immediate money losses. However, you might have the police knocking on your door eventually, with all the unpleasantness that entails.
Letâs take a closer look at how exactly someone might hijack your accounts.
Phishing
Received an e-mail about a giveaway or a scary notification about a suspended account? Whatever you do, donât click anything: it might be scammers hunting for your credentials. For example, hereâs how cybercriminals lured Amazon users to phishing pages using bonus points that had to be cashed out immediately. If the user clicked the link and entered their personal data, these went straight to the scammers.
Malware
Phishing is not the only way to steal accounts and personal data. Using banking Trojans, cybercriminals can spoof the login screen and find out your credentials, or redirect you to a fake site that hands over everything you enter.
Public Wi-Fi
In todayâs world, you can shop online anywhere. Itâs not uncommon, for example, for people to go to the mall to try on a product in person, then order it online at a lower price. Whatâs more, they can place an order using that same mallâs free Wi-Fi. This is when scammers pounce on the bargain hunters.
The fact is that when you buy online, you send and receive a wealth of valuable information, including account details. Anyone with the right skills and access to the same network can snoop on this data. In the case of free Wi-Fi at the mall, there could be tens, if not hundreds of strangers connected to the same network, some of whom might be there for something a lot less innocent than shopping.
But even on your home Wi-Fi, your security remains an issue â especially if youâve never changed the router password and arenât sure which encryption protocol your network uses. All this leaves the door open to cybercriminals.
Online store leaks
Sadly, there are yet more ways to lose your data. Online stores are not watertight, and sometimes leak databases of user accounts. For fraudsters, such data is gold dust. And if you happen to use the same password for different services, attackers will have access to all of them.
Fake websites
Especially creative scammers make their own sites that mimic those of real online shopping services. Some of these fakes are scams used to take money from the victim without delivering the promised goods or services. And as an added bonus, they might steal payment card data too.
So how to shop safely?
Here are some simple tips to help protect your data and money when shopping online.
1. Use strong passwords
Sure, hardly anyone brute-forces passwords these days by entering them one by one. But even with modern methods of cracking, shorter and less complex passwords are more vulnerable. So, the rule still stands: the longer your combination is, the less likely cybercriminals will grab it. We advise using at least 10 characters â even for accounts of little importance. And for accounts you really care about, better to make the password twice as long.
Another dangerous habit is to use the same passwords for multiple sites. Having grabbed the credentials for one account, cybercriminals are unlikely to stop there and will try to log in to other services with the stolen username and password.
You can devise your own password creation system, or use a password generator to come up with strong random combinations. And so as not to forget them, you can store your credentials in a password manager, which also includes a password generator as a rule.
2. Use a VPN to connect to public networks
A secure connection encrypts all traffic and therefore prevents attackers from intercepting your login credentials and payment details. Check here for how to choose the best VPN app.
3. Donât link bank cards to online shopping accounts
Most of all, attackers love stealing accounts that are rarely used â this way their actions go unnoticed for longer. Therefore, itâs worth linking a bank card only to online stores that you regularly visit, and make sure that your account is not hijacked and that no suspicious transactions appear in your purchase history.
In other cases, itâs safer to decline the âremember cardâ option and enter the numbers manually. That way, youâll be less likely to lose money through a long-abandoned account with, letâs say, some online pet store where you once bought hamster food.
4. If possible, pay with payment services
Payment services, such as Google Play or PayPal, store your data in encrypted form on secure servers. The merchant you buy from receives only the virtual account number assigned to the card by the service. Because your card data is not seen by the merchant, this keeps your finances safer from unscrupulous sellers, data leaks from the site, and data interception during transmission over the internet.
5. Get a separate card for online shopping
Get a separate card for online purchases, and keep minimal funds on it. Even if attackers find out the details of this card, they still wonât get their hands on your main money source. Itâs best to top up the card immediately before making a purchase and only by the amount you intend to spend.
6. Keep track of your payment history
Set up transaction notifications, and check your payment history regularly. If you spot something suspicious, call your bank immediately. Any unexpected debit, even of a tiny amount, should ring an alarm bell, because it may be scammers floating a trial balloon, or the first automatic payment for a subscription you didnât ask for.
7. Use reliable protection
These simple rules to protect your data and money will make your online shopping experience safe and secure. To avoid cybercriminal tricks, read our post on how to spot scammers online. And use a reliable security solution that automatically detects and blocks phishing sites.
The marketing campaign highlights the magic of shared meals and aims to inspire people to make more meaningful meal moments together
THAILAND (Jul 31, 2023)...
